More hard work!

Dad and I started decorating the Ladies' toilets at work today and it turned out to be a lot harder than I had imagined! We'd received a quote from a decorator to do it for around £500 which we thought was a bit expensive so we decided to do it ourselves!

Keith came in and with Ian, our handyman, started putting up a barrier in the car park to protect our new cladding which has been hit and dented by several thoughtless customers. It will have a double use - to prevent cars hitting the cladding and also to provide a pedestrian walkway as a safety measure.

As soon as I arrived I headed off to the loos and started glossing the doors which took me all morning. By 4pm we'd covered a lot of the walls but it will need a second coat which Dad will do tomorrow as I'm off to Kent to see Nan with mum. She has an appointment with the bank so it's not something we could get out of easily.

There seems to be so much to do at the moment and not nearly enough time to do it! An extra few hours every day would be very welcome indeed!

Wild and woolly...

Well, today has certainly been a wild and woolly day! We've had torrential rain and high winds all day and in the afternoon, Sophie and I went into work to help out as they were very busy. I wasn't keen on going in but I would just have sat at home and worried so we went in from 1pm until 4pm and helped out in the kitchen. It wasn't too bad but when I went to go home, a silly woman had completely blocked me in! I have a feeling that my little car is invisible lately but this really was taking the mickey out of me and when she appeared, she explained herself by saying she thought my car belonged to one of the parents attending a Birthday party her child was at...Huh???

Anyway, we thankfully drove home through puddles of water (there was some flooding on the road near us in the morning) and I collapsed on the sofa in a heap! This weekend has certainly been a busy one!

Dreary Saturday

Today was supposed to have been the better of the two weekend days but it has rained all day. I spent the morning and half the afternoon doing housework (Keith hates dusting and one thing led to another...the bathrooms, yuk!) and then Sophie and I drove over to Market Harborough for a spot of shopping.

We called into Caffe Nero first as I hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast and I ordered a chicken ciabatta while Sophie chomped on a chocolate brownie. I waited and waited for my sandwich and when I finally managed to get the attention of one of the the staff they discovered it had been burnt! The replacement wasn't the same as the one I originally chose so as an apology the manager gave me a voucher for a free hot drink the next time we visit! That's fine by me!

Keith cooked an absolutely delicious curry in the evening and had put a pack of mixed chillies into it to give it some heat. He and Mikey ate a whole one each and then had to gulp down some water as they had steam coming out of their ears! The chillies certainly gave the curry a lot of flavour so we'll be using that recipe from now on, but maybe not eating a whole chilli!

Pastures newish...

This evening Keith and I ventured out (in the rain) to The Griffin at Pitsford. We fancied somewhere different and we hadn't been there for ages - at least 16 years!

The pub was pleasantly brimming with people, most of them men who had stopped off on their way home from work, judging by their suits! As it was so murky and horrible outside it was lovely and cosy within and we sat at the bar and had a good natter. The only drawback was the slightly grumpy Landlord who never smiled the whole time we were there! We'll definitely go back as it's very close by but perhaps we'll find a table in the lounge next time!

Sobering thoughts...

When I got home from work this evening I received one of my ancestor's death certificates in the post. He was my great great great Grandfather and he died in a workhouse in Gravesend in 1896, of "apoplexy". It seems such a shame that his large family didn't take him in but I don't know the circumstances they were in at the time so I can't really comment - they all may have been really poor or have had large families of their own, but the thing that struck me is that his name was different on the certificate. Maybe they weren't really sure of his real name, but it makes me think hard about the kind of lives my family lived in the late 19th century and how hard it must have been.

There was obviously no welfare state and no old peoples' homes and if your family couldn't take you in, it was off to the workhouse. There was certainly no old age pension or benefits of any kind so I suppose people kept on working for as long as they could. Several of my family have ended up there and the one in Dartford is now a block of very smart offices - I wonder if the occupants have any inkling of how their workplace used to be!

Rain, rain and more rain!

Keith came into work with me this morning and it was a very wet and waterlogged journey, I can tell you, with torrential rain and strong winds. Yuk!

We had a good day and managed to get a lot done, as usual. By 4pm though, Keith had had enough and was ready to put his foot up as now his ankle hurts! Boy, will I be glad when this is all over! Keith has told me we're going away for the weekend when it's all finished and I don't think it can come soon enough!

Bad news...

Well, Keith was all set to go into hospital on Wednesday but this evening the hospital called to say his operation has been cancelled. He was absolutely gutted as his hip is giving him a lot of pain at the moment and we'd all psyched ourselves up for him going in this week. He'd been to have his hair cut, washed all his pyjamas (buried at the back of our drawers) and was really hoping that it would all be over by the weekend, but sadly, it's not to be.

Let's just hope he doesn't have to wait too much longer!

Will it ever stop raining?

Although today started out dry and sunny, that soon changed in the afternoon and by evening it was pouring again! We had a busy day cleaning at work as a lot of things needed doing after the school holidays.

Keith and I went over to The Hare at Loddington again and had a very pleasant drink. As his hospital appointment is looming it was great to sit and relax before he goes in!

We did it!

At noon, Keith and I drove up to Mum's house and we finally managed to get their caravan out of the drive!

When we arrived Dad had positioned it right at the entrance to the drive so I moved my car and his Mondeo further up the road. Between Dad and Keith they "walked" it over the road using the automatic mover and into the entrance to a small field opposite. I then brought the car back and positioned it so Dad could hitch it up and it all went without any problems at all! Just one car appeared as it was in the middle of the road but within seconds it was across so we didn't hold anyone up at all.

Mum and Dad then drove it over to the village of Sibbertoft where there is a farm providing storage and they now have plans to take it to Warwickshire some time in May. I'm really pleased as Dad was very despondent about the whole thing but he feels far more confident now and I hope they go on to have some great holidays in their little mobile home!

April Showers!

Today has been very unsettled but I did manage to cut the lawn just seconds before the heavens opened and we had a hailstorm! The grass was lush and thick thanks to the rain we've been having on an almost daily basis lately. Drought? What drought?!

I have a bit of a cold at the moment, which isn't a good thing, so apart from doing a small bit of gardening, I haven't been up to much. I did spend a fair bit of time with the family tree, though, and very interesting it was, too!

Missing in action...

I had quite a shock this afternoon when Sophie called me at work to ask if Mikey was with me...well, of course he wasn't, I said, and then she told me that he hadn't got on the bus after school...

I dashed out of work and went straight to the school, slowing down whenever I passed a knot of schoolboys in the village, in case he'd decided to walk to work. Sophie had tried his mobile but that had gone straight to voicemail - honestly! What's the use in having one?

When I got to school it was almost 4pm and there were no students about at all. I went to the office but he hadn't gone there to say he'd missed the bus, so where was he? I called Sophie again and had a rant at her, asking her why she hadn't noticed he wasn't on the bus so that put her in a filthy mood. Keith, meanwhile, was clearing up poo and sick from Monty-cat which wasn't going too well, either. He tried to calm me down by saying, very sensibly, that he'd probably gone home with a friend to call one of us to pick him up, so I drove home scanning the road for a little group of boys, but the road remained empty.

On the way, Keith called to tell me that he was safe and well with a friend in the next village -  he'd caught another bus and the friend's dad would be bringing him home. I really have to say that he'd done well by catching the other bus, but I did tell him that if it ever happened again he must go back to the school and contact me or Keith and we would pick him up. My only worry was that he'd tried to walk home but it is a fair distance!

So, panic over and I'm a bit proud of him, really. He'd used his own common sense to get out of the situation but I just wish he'd answered his phone!

Keith went to see Dave at home and I gave him a lift before going to deliver the post that I should have done on the way home. When I returned to pick Keith up, he said that Dave was a bit brighter but that it would be a while before normal service was resumed on Monday and Friday nights. I have to say I'm not disappointed!

We went over to The Hare in Loddington again for a drink and it was a lot busier than normal so we resorted to sitting in the lounge, rather than at the bar. There were several families taking advantage of the early bird meal offer so it was pleasant to sit and people watch while having a good chat!

Domestic bliss!

This afternoon Keith had to go to the hospital for his pre-op assessment so I picked the children up from school, took them back to work with me, left Sophie there as she was doing a party for us and then went home with Mikey.

As Keith has been with me at work for most of the week I did some essential ironing which pleased him greatly when he got home from the hospital. It's going to be something I need to get used to again over the next couple of months as he will be out of action for six weeks when the operation is over, won't be able to drive and will be on crutches. Everything was fine in his assessment so we're all set for next week for the hip replacement and I can only hope that he will be pain free afterwards!

Rain, rain, rain!

Officially we are in a drought in our part of the country but it's been raining on and off for over two weeks now and the warm and sunny weather of March is a distant memory!

Keith came into work with me today and between us we managed to get a lot of little jobs done. Next week he's going into hospital for his hip operation and I only hope he won't be in too long! I'm dreading it but he really needs to have it done now as he is limping constantly.

The weather has been atrocious today with heavy rain in the morning and hail showers in the afternoon. It's hard to believe that this time last year it was blazing hot and sunny - and there wasn't a drought either!

Caravan troubles

Mum and Dad were due to go away today to Grafham Water for a couple of days in the caravan but we had trouble getting it out of their drive. Dad always knew it would be a tight squeeze and with the road at the front it would be even trickier manoeuvring it out between the stone wall.

Keith and I were there to help as well but in the end we gave up as Dad was worried he would damage it. I have an idea that my parents are beginning to re-think the idea of their new toy which is a tremendous shame. I know, for sure, that towing a caravan is not my idea of fun and they didn't realise just how much is involved with so much equipment needed. As the weather is set to get worse over the next few days they have decided to postpone the trip and stay at home. I think they need to make some decisions about whether they really need all this hassle and worry at their age as I know for a fact that my Dad is losing sleep over getting the damned thing out of the drive!

They came around for a glass of wine in the evening and we had a good chat. Sophie tried hard to persuade her grandfather to buy her a villa in Florida, but selling the caravan wouldn't come close to buying a second home near Orlando! Dream on, Soph!

One last manic day!

As the school holidays were still on, we opened today and we were very busy - a bonus! Sophie came into work and helped out but at 3pm we had the dreaded dentist! At least that's it all over for another six months!

In the evening Keith and I went to the local pub for a drink as Dave is still not very well. The pub was very quiet indeed at first, but it was great to sit and have a chat and look out over the comings and goings in the village. I will miss this when Dave eventually returns to having a drink with Keith on a Monday and Friday!

Lazy Sunday

Well, the morning wasn't lazy as I braved the icy wind to wash both cars, inside and out. Although it was a sunny day it was bitterly cold and after giving the cars a good clean I went back inside to sit in the conservatory with Keith, over coffee and papers! It was much warmer in there!

I'd had plans to go out into the garden but with the cold wind, I just didn't fancy it at all! Maybe when the warmer weather returns (or if?) it'll be time then, but the afternoon was spent doing very little, which wasn't a bad thing after the busy two weeks we'd had!

Picnic in the Park

Today was spent at Woburn Safari Park and we had a great time!

I really wanted to go somewhere for the day as Sophie wasn't working but it was difficult to find an attraction that we would all enjoy, wasn't too far away and didn't involve a lot of walking (Keith's hip operation can't come soon enough) so Woburn fitted the bill exactly.

I bought some picnic foods the day before and was up early making sandwiches and packing our coolbox. We decided to take the Passat as the monkeys at Woburn can be a bit naughty and I didn't fancy having the windscreen wipers ripped off my new car!

We did a safari tour first and it was very busy with lots of cars driving slowly through the different park areas. We saw rhinos, tigers, bears and wolves before moving into the lion enclosure and trying to work out if a couple of the lions were young males. This could have been the reason why a magnificent lion was caged all alone as we exited this part of the park - fighting perhaps?

Next came the monkeys and the children were delighted when one of them jumped up onto the bonnet and went for a short ride with us! Luckily he wasn't in a destrcutive mood! From the monkeys we moved into the larger part of the park and spotted giraffes, zebras and camels.

As it was now lunchtime, we parked the car in a quiet part of the picnic area and enjoyed our lunch which was delicious. I have no idea why people would pay through the nose for food in these parks when you can take your own picnic and a big flask of tea!

After lunch we spent a couple of hours wandering around the foot safari seeing marmosets, penguins, pigs and goats and the children took one of the Swan pedalo boats out onto the lake. We were all really enjoying ourselves but we couldn't help comparing Woburn to the Orlando theme parks (unfair, I know, but bear with me). It wasn't cheap for us to go for the day, about £64 for the four of us, and the park was very busy. What annoyed me was that in lots of places it was shabby and worn and it wouldn't take much to give the place a lick of paint and to keep the grass trimmed.  The penguin area in particular was dirty with flaking paint on the walls, scruffy vegetation and dirty water in the pool. The road through the car safari was full of potholes which could have been patched up and it just looked generally tired.

Some of the signs giving the public information on the animals were worn and faded and the indoor play area was alarming - in several places there was padding missing and it looked grubby and very tired indeed. In Orlando, the theme parks were spotlessly clean with staff going around and picking up litter and the places were beautifully maintained.

I just felt like the place needed a good shake-up...I have no idea of their overheads but surely as we go into Spring and Summer the owners could smarten the place up a bit?

Anyway, we still had a very good day and the children thoroughly enjoyed themselves looking at all the animals and taking photos. On our second drive through the safari area a big black bear came walking towards us which made me stop the car pretty quickly! He ambled off to the side of the road but it was great to see him so close!

Back at home we watched the Grand National and I was pleased to see that my horse, Cappa Bleu, came fourth so Keith won a bit of his money back!

Yippeee! It's Friday!

I really missed my little girl at work today as she was having some time off after working most of the week. We had a very grey and foggy start to the day so we were busy yet again - and there was me hoping for a quiet end to the week!

In the evening Sue came over for a glass of wine and a good gossip. We shared some nibbles and caught up with lots of things which made for a relaxing end to the week. This Easter has been a very good one for us at work, completely different to last year when the weather was hot and sunny. I'm just hoping that the weekend will be sunny and dry as we're off to Woburn Safari Park tomorrow!

Mostly grumpy...

My day didn't start off too well when I couldn't find any socks this morning... I bought myself seven pairs a while ago and not one was to be found in my underwear drawer this morning! As it's not a good time of the month for me, my mood just worsened and I had a rant at Keith about socks which didn't go down too well!

Driving into work I discovered a tractor in front of me so I decided that rather than sit behind him all the way out of the village (not many overtaking opportunities) I'd go another way, deciding that a change is as good as a rest! Imagine my extreme annoyance when I managed to catch up with him a little way down the road where my new route met my old! Gritting my teeth I took another different route along the main road and lo and behold came upon another tractor! Would you believe it!

The final straw came when I drove into our car park to find a soiled nappy sitting on the ground...what sort of customers do we have, I wonder??

The day did improve slightly (well it had to didn't it?) and I managed to get all the payroll done and dusted in accordance with our beloved Revenue and Customs. We were busy at work today and after doing all the paperwork I went and helped out in the kitchen, relieved to get away from the computer for a short while!

Mum and I escaped again in the afternoon and Mrs Grumpy reared her ugly head once again... We went over to the bank and as I was pulling out of the parking space I noticed a young woman pulling out as well, a mobile phone firmly clamped to her ear. She followed me for quite a distance, ten minutes at least, and all the time the phone was still attached to her ear, despite us passing a police car! At one point she nearly hit a bus and swerved at the last minute and I was furious that she could drive like that and put other people at risk! Grrrrr!

It was quite a relief to get home in the evening and relax with a glass of wine, well away from other people!

A quieter day!

Well, after the busy day yesterday it was back to quiet times today with the weather sunny and dry. It gave me an opportunity to start the end of year Payroll that has to be done this month and although I dread it every year it's actually quite easy to do so I don't know why I worry about it!

I did manage to escape the office in the afternoon to go over to the bank and it was wonderful to get out into the fresh air, even if it was just for a short while. Sophie and I haven't been for a walk in ages so that's something we must get back into next week when the children start back to school and things return to normal!

Busy, busy!

Today has been a busy day, both at work and at home. We were all in early at work getting ready for the day and doing the cleaning, although mum and dad had been in the day before (on a Bank Holiday!) to do most of it. The weather was dry and sunny but we were still busy which was good and very unexpected! My day was mostly taken up with office work and catching up with things after my short break so I was confined to the office which was no bad thing!

After work I dashed home with Sophie and then went to give blood at her school. This time I had to drink a whole pint of water before I gave blood, something to do with us not feeling as faint!

When I got home I noticed one of our conifers looking very sorry for itself and when I went to investigate I met Sarah taking out her bins. We had a long chat, with the emphasis on Prom dresses and how stressy our teenage girls are at the moment! Roll on the Summer holidays!

In the evening Mum and I went to a local small cinema to see the film "The Woman in the Fifth" based on Douglas Kennedy's book. It was ages since we'd been to this small cinema and it was a real treat to not have people chomping on popcorn or rustling sweet bags all the way through it! The film was great, a bit obscure in places but it varied a bit from the book. Why does this happen?!

Bank Holiday washout!

Well, today has been awful. Unrelenting rain and grey skies which means we would probably have been very busy indeed at work had we opened, but as we close all Bank Holidays there was nothing we could do about it!

I spent the morning scanning all my old photos and in the afternoon Keith, Sophie and I went back to Market Harborough to take the DVDs back. We took a detour on the way back passing through some very pretty villages, but the weather remained terrible and it was chilly as well...yuk!

In the evening Keith and I ventured out in the torrential downpour to the White Horse pub in Old but we made a swift exit after one of the locals, a bit worse for wear, cornered us at the bar and wouldn't stop talking! We drove off to our lovely local, The Royal Oak, and had a very pleasant hour in there where the clientele were not as inebriated!

Rifling through Nan's drawers!

Mum and I made the trip down to Kent today to see Nan as it was Easter Sunday and although a lot of places were closed, the roads were still very busy.

We spent a very pleasant day looking through lots of old photos and ransacking her cupboards and drawers trying to find more old documents that would help with my family tree research. I borrowed some wonderful old pictures from her and she didn't mind at all as we put it all back very neatly! It wasn't the sort of day to be out and about as it was grey and dismal again so it was the perfect time to stay in the warm and be cosy!

My Nan and Grandad - probably the 60s.

My Great Grandmother (left) a very young mum and my Nan (right)

My Nan's wedding day in March 1940

Keith and I - some years ago!

Back to Meerkat Harborough

Sophie took today off work so we went shopping to Market Harborough, somewhere we haven't been for ages!

It was a dismal, overcast day and I managed to park in the street near Duncan's shop. I didn't go in as with all the expense lately I couldn't really justify having a wine spending spree, so we slunk away and Sophie bought a pair of trousers in New Look. We also managed a milk shake in Caffe Nero before renting two DVDs for the weekend.

 I have to say the first film we watched, Trespass, starring Nicholas Cage and Nicole Kidman was absolute pants! I cannot recommend it!

Old haunts revisited...

After all the excitement of yesterday we had a very lazy start to the day but chores were beckoning. Keith and I had to go to Tesco to do our weekly food shop and it was not a pleasant experience! Because it's Easter and a Bank Holiday weekend the world and his wife were out shopping so it was a bit stressful and I said to the checkout girl that I'd rather poke pins in my eyes than come shopping on a Saturday. If I had my way I'd have it all delivered to my door!

Anyway, the afternoon was more relaxed and in the evening Keith and I went off to The Vane Arms at Sudborough for a drink. This pub used to be the Real Ale pub to go to in Northamptonshire but since we've been customers it's gone through several Landlords and its fortunes have fallen and risen. Luckily it's back on its feet again and we were very impressed indeed with how it had been refurbished by the current Landlord whose father used to run the Royal Oak in Walgrave. It was spotlessly clean with beautiful old quarry tiles on the floors, lots of exposed stone and wood and some very nice touches. They had managed to modernise the pub without losing its character and although we only stayed for one drink (and said hello to Trevor who used to run our local) I have a feeling we'll be back for a meal very soon.

Our next stop was The Snooty Fox at Lowick, again another pub that we have been visiting for years with some very happy memories of dinners there with friends. Well, it was a very strange experience indeed! We walked in to find a family sitting in the lounge area with a baby screaming its head off and then a couple came in with a dog who then proceeded to have a fight with another dog and a lot of barking and growling ensued, which with the screaming baby, made Keith order just a half of Guinness as the beer was, to put it mildly, crap! I felt like I'd walked in on a private house party, to be honest, as the clientele were...how to put it...very posh indeed and all seemed to know each other. The staff were all Italian and they kept trying to persuade Keith and I to sit in the lounge which had no chairs or sofas whatsoever, just a vast stoneflagged floor and two enormous fireplaces. We kept saying no as we couldn't get our drinks down fast enough and get out of there!

It was such a shame as this "pub" used to be very welcoming with a good choice of beers, a delicious menu and a varied clientele, but now I felt it had been taken over by the beautiful people of Lowick (which I suppose is only right seeing as it's their pub) and had been turned into a restaurant. It's one we won't go back to in a hurry, but with all pubs, they can change very quickly and I have a feeling that it has changed hands since we were last there a couple of years ago.

Our third and final stop was The Samuel Pepys at Slipton which was lovely, and just right! The pub was pleasantly busy with very friendly staff and a great atmosphere and a varied beer choice although Keith said he would have liked to see a stronger beer on offer. Delicious smells were wafting about and it was making us very hungry. A good job we'd ordered a Chinese takeway to be delivered when we got home!

Sweet 16!

Well, today has been great - very enjoyable despite it being a long day. We didn't get home until 1am!

We had a nice relaxed start to the day and then Mum and Dad came around after opening up at work and Sophie opened her cards and presents. She was ecstatic when she opened her Tiffany's necklace that Mum and Dad bought her when they were in New York. My daughter is one very lucky girl!

The plan was to all leave together and head off to the O2 in Greenwich where we would leave the cars as I'd booked tickets to see Titanic in 3D in the evening. We would then get a tube into London to have lunch at The Hard Rock Cafe. Mum and Dad opted to go down the M1 and around the highway to hell while the four of us sped down the A14 and the M11 thus avoiding the almost continuous roadworks that blight our motorways at the moment.

The four of us arrived first and headed into the O2 to use their facilities and to have a coffee at a Starbucks. Mum and Dad arrived about half an hour after us and then we took the Underground to Hyde Park Corner. We had talked about taking one of the Thames Clippers that travel up and down the river but time was tight and it was a windy and very chilly day so we opted for the warmth of the Tube instead!

I love using the Underground but I always forget about how much walking is involved and I was a bit worried about poor Keith and his hip, but he was OK (or he said he was) and within an hour we were queueing at The Hard Rock Cafe where we were told the wait would be about an hour.

The place was packed - what eaterie isn't at the moment? - and we headed off to the downstairs bar for a drink before we were able to have lunch. We were given a little buzzer that was supposed to vibrate when our table was ready but the bloomin thing kept barking at me and emitting a high pitched beep! Very annoying!

Keith bought the drinks for the four of us (thankfully mum and dad said they would buy their own) and I think it's the most expensive round we have ever had - £18.80 for a glass of wine, a pint of lager and two cokes!

We didn't have to wait long and within 15 minutes we were seated and studying the menu. Although the waitress warned us that the main courses were large, we still went for two sharing platters of chicken wings and nachos and mum and dad had garlic bread each. These were swiftly demolished and our very delicious mains arrived. Five of us had burgers while Keith chose the full rack of ribs which were very meaty indeed! He struggled, I can tell you!

The food was very good, I have to say, and our waitress was lovely. There was a great, very noisy, atmosphere with rock music blaring out and the loud hum of conversation. Most of the diners were obviously tourists like us, but Mum gasped when a couple were seated behind us and recognised Raef Bjayou from The Apprentice. I vaguely recognised him but a couple of girls certainly knew who he was and went up to him, asking for photos and autographs.

I'd told the waitress it was Sophie's 16th Birthday and she brought out her dessert with a candle and made her stand on the chair while everyone sang Happy Birthday! Very good but a tad embarrassing for Sophie!

It was a great lunch and Sophie thoroughly enjoyed herself. It's a great restaurant but I think we all secretly wished we were eating at the Universal branch!

After eating we paid a quick visit to the shop and then took the tube to Picadilly Circus as Sophie wanted to see the "Times Square of London". Mum and Dad politely said that no, it wasn't at all like Times Square so we decided to head back to the O2 in plenty of time to see Titanic in 3D.

As it was rush hour the trains were pretty crowded and we were all packed in like sardines. No way could I do that every day!

The O2 was pleasantly quiet so we called into The Slug and Lettuce pub and had a couple of rounds of drinks before the film started. As we hadn't got reserved seats I started to panic that we wouldn't be able to sit together but I needn't have worried as the screening took place in the Sky Super Screen and it was huge...and only half full when we arrived.

The four of us had a short sharp argument as to where to sit (I love reserved seats!) but soon we were all settled and we enjoyed the film very much. The 3D made everything very sharp and clear and the actors seemed to loom out of the screen at us. Keith and Dad said they'd be asleep within half an hour but there was too much going on and we were all riveted. The film is a long one - about three hours - so we didn't emerge until 11pm and it was 1am by the time we were all at home, very tired but glad to have had such an enjoyable day!

The return of winter...

Today has been horrible - it's rained all day and it's been cold as well. Where has the lovely weather gone?!

Because of the rain we were very busy at work and we all helped out - washing up, clearing tables and supervising the children on the frame, some of whom were being very naughty. It really is my idea of hell, to be honest, with hundreds of kids running around and screaming and generally causing mayhem!

I went to pick up Sophie's ice-cream cake and then we headed home at about 4.30pm relieved to think that the next few days were earmarked as a holiday!

The rain comes...

Today we were busier at work which is a relief. We have a big VAT bill due next week so we need every penny we can get to pay that! It looks like the weather is on the turn with wintry showers forecast for tomorrow. Hard to believe last week it was like summer here!

It was lovely to get home and listen to the rain falling on the roof of the conservatory. The garden is badly in need of a good drink and it looks like we've definitely lost one of our big shrubs in the gravel garden that was really beautiful with dark green glossy leaves and little white flowers. Perhaps at the weekend Keith and I will cut it right down and see if there's any life left. If not, it'll be a trip to the garden centre for another one!

Happy Monday!

Monday has been a good day, if I may say so! We weren't very busy at work but then we didn't really expect it as the sun was shining and we're normally closed on Mondays. Sophie came in to help out and I booked a Birthday treat for her on Thursday...I'm hoping this Birthday will be a memorable one!

We left work at a reasonable time and I gave my car a lovely soapy wash at home. I know it's forecast to rain within the next few days but it was very dusty after all the dry weather we've had.

As Dave is still not very well, Keith and I went out for a drink in the evening on our own. It was great! We called into the Three Cranes in the village of Great Cransley but it was closed so we ended up back at The Hare in Loddington and, again, we had a very pleasant couple of hours chatting over drinks.

When we got home Sophie has started the dinner for us...I could get used to this!

Shopping!

This morning Mum, Soph and me went off to Milton Keynes to do some shopping as it's a certain someone's 16th Birthday next Thursday. We had a bite to eat in Caffe Italia and then went into Schuh to buy Sophie some Vans shoes.

I'd never heard of Vans shoes until Sophie said she wanted them for her birthday and to me they looked like normal sandshoes, but with a hefty price tag! She picked the ones she wanted but they weren't in stock, so the assistant brought her another to try on to make sure the size was right and said we could order the pair she wanted and they would pay the delivery to our home.

Well, I was impressed! The shop was heaving with people and the sales assistants were extremely friendly and efficient. By the time I'd got to the till, the order was there, it was checked with me to make sure they were the correct shoes and as I write (on Monday) they've been delivered! What excellent service! I've had emails and texts to say the shoes were on their way and I just wish all shops were like this! Expensive they may have been but with service like that I don't mind!

After shoe shopping we popped into M&S to try on bras (a bit stressful) and then we had a cup of coffee and a bar of chocolate as a treat. Keith had been phoning me on my mobile as Mikey had gone off to the village to see one of his friends and he couldn't get hold of him so we were both a bit worried. This had come after a fairly fraught morning when we'd discovered that Mikey had somehow bored a hole in his bedroom wall and we'd understandably been a mite angry with him. I don't know...boys! Luckily I managed to get him on his mobile so it was all OK and we had a cup of coffee to celebrate!

We left Milton Keynes at about 3pm and headed home in the lovely sunshine. The forecast rain had never happened and it had turned out to be very warm indeed. Did I say that the heatwave was over?!